The Papaya Plant

The Papaya is native to Mexico and neighboring Central America. It is now present in every tropical and subtropical country. The papaya is a short-lived, fast-growing, woody, large herb that grows to 10 or 12 feet in height.



Here is a "keiki" (child) Papaya. A Papaya plant can be male or female. There are Hawaiian or Mexican papayas. The Hawaiian varieties are the papayas commonly found in supermarkets.



These pear-shaped fruit usually weigh about 1 pound and have yellow skin when ripe. The flesh is bright orange or pinkish, with small black seeds clustered in the center. Hawaiian papayas are easier to harvest because they usually don't grow taller than 8 feet.



A ripened papaya is juicy, sweetish and somewhat like a cantaloupe in flavor. These aren't ready yet. One must wait till they turn yellow.

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